Module 5

Unit 1. What is Xenophobia?

Lead in

Ø Do you know any scientific definition of the “unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers”? Skim the following text about xenophobia.

Ø What is your personal attitude towards this phenomenon?

Ø Can you give any examples you have ever heard, seen, experienced?

Reading and vocabulary

Read the text for general understanding. Pay attention to the words in bold?

What is Xenophobia?

Xenophobia refers to the fear and/or hatred towards foreigners or people with different nationalities, culture, ethnicity, or background. Many people also use the term “xenophobia” and casually inter-change it with “racism” although there is quite a big difference between the two terms. Racism may almost always mean some form of anger or hatred towards people of different nationalities, while xenophobia may or may not involve hatred. Sometimes, xenophobia may just manifest itself as a feeling of fear or unease and anxiety towards “foreign” or “strange” people.

The fear involved in xenophobia may come from different aspects. Some people experience ill-feelings toward other cultures and nationalities because of a fear in losing one’s identity. Some also are extremely suspicious of other people’s activities and personalities that they resort to either “withdrawal” from the unpleasant situation or “aggression” towards the foreign people involved. Others have this extremist type of feeling that his/her culture or background is superior over the others with accompanying prejudice to other groups of people as inferior.

To further distance the word “xenophobia” from “racism”, many experts point out that the fear involved in xenophobia is irrational. This means that people who have this condition do not actually have control over their emotions and prejudices on people and situations. Unlike in racism, where much of the thoughts and actions involved are pre-determined, purposeful, and done at a person’s own free will. Another point is that xenophobia does not only involve feelings of fears towards foreigners or people with different nationalities. Fear may also be experienced with people who seem to be “foreign” or who are labeled as strangers. And since these feelings are uncontrollable, xenophobic have a chance to get better through behavioral and psychotherapies.

2. Match the words with their definitions.

2. The word Xenophobia comes from the Greek words ξ έ ν ο ς (xenos), meaning " stranger, " " foreigner" and φ β ο ς (phobos), meaning “fear”. There are a lot of words possessing the stem meaning “fear”. Find the meaning of the following words, using on-line dictionary:

- acrophobia is a fear of…..

- aerophobia is a fear of….

- agoraphobia is a fear of…

- Anglophobia is a fear of…

- claustrophobia is a fear of…

- homophobia is a fear of…

- hydrophobia is a fear of…

- negrophobia is a fear of…

- photophobia is fear of…

Read and discuss

1. Read and translate the text about forms of Xenophobia. Try to give your own definition to the word. Have ever experienced xenophobia yourself? Anywhere for anyone? Do agree that Xenophobia can also be directed simply to anyone outside a culture, not necessarily one particular race or people? How do you think Xenophobia may be expressed? Skim the text about two main forms of Xenophobia and say what is the main difference of these two forms?